Abstract [en]

This paper examines police recruits’ values and attitudes toward different learning content in a number of European countries in a time of uncertainty. From a global perspective, police institutions in many countries are currently undergoing substantial professional reorientation as an answer to changing demands on policing due to transformations of the society such as flows of refugees, demographic changes, increased societal diversity and transnational crime patterns. In sum, these developments has been suggested to lead to increased complexity in the fulfilment of the police’s professional obligations and new demands on police professional knowledge. On a level of police educational curricula, traditional subjects such as law enforcement, investigation and crime control are increasingly complemented with subjects such as cultural awareness, communication, as well as gender and diversity training. Drawing on empirical data from the RECPOL (Recruitment, Education, Careers in the Police) project the attitudes among female and male police recruits, when entering their police training, are analysed and discussed in relation to enduring and new content in police education. The results are also discussed from a broader Euoropean perspective in terms of similarities and differences between educational systems and the traditions and role of the police in the countries taking part in the project. Finally we also touch on implications for decision makers and training providers for developing a police education preparing recruits for policing in a changing society.